There is Still Such A Good Thing? - Chapter 3

Wu Lingchan did not know what he had encountered in his youth. His lineage, memories, and the “Wu” seal had all been locked away together.

Now, an arrow from the Taiping Bow had shattered that seal. In a mere moment, his amber pupils turned completely crimson, and his childhood memories began to flicker in and out of focus. However, too much time had passed. Wu Lingchan could not quite remember what his eldest brother looked like. There was only a vague, blurry shadow and one strange, persistent thought:

Run.

Wu Lingchan did not understand the meaning of it.

At that moment, the giant kite gave a cry. Jiang Zhengliu produced a snow-fur cloak from somewhere and gently draped it over Wu Lingchan’s shoulders.

“Young Lord, we have arrived at the Bihan Terrace.”

Wu Lingchan looked down. The Bihan Terrace was covered in snow year-round. From high above, it looked like a piece of jade carved from ice. Outside the palace stood a continuous forest of bamboo, which remained lush and green despite the howling cold winds.

The giant kite had pitch-black wings and a dark red beak. It seemed to fear something and refused to approach the Bihan Terrace, circling in mid-air with mournful cries.

Xun Ye said impatiently, “Land.”

The giant kite let out a sob-like sound and trembled for a long time. Wu Lingchan was nearly bounced off by its shivering before it finally and reluctantly descended onto the Bihan Terrace.

The kite was as large as a small mountain, making it difficult for Wu Lingchan to jump down. He simply reached out his hand toward Xun Ye, signaling for him to help him down.

Xun Ye was speechless. For the first time in his life, he experienced the feeling of being angry enough to laugh. With a grim smile, he stepped forward using the wind, grabbed Wu Lingchan by the back of his collar, and lifted him up.

Wu Lingchan’s robes and gold ornaments were beautiful yet cluttered. When he was lifted and shaken, he jingled like a pouch full of coins. Xun Ye set the “money pouch” down and said with a fake smile, “Young Lord, after you.”

Wu Lingchan glared at him but generously forgave the offense since Xun Ye had been obedient.

Many people were already waiting at the Bihan Terrace. As Wu Lingchan walked up the jade steps and entered the hall, several gazes shot toward him instantly. Before he could react, several white figures darted in front of him like arrows released from a bow, their eyes scanning his face as if carving it with a knife.

When their eyes landed on the gold “Wu” seal on his neck, they finally choked up and burst into tears. They surrounded him, talking all at once.

“Young Lord! Heaven has shown mercy. The Young Lord has finally returned! We have fulfilled the Lord’s trust. We can now die in peace!”

“This appearance! He is carved from the same mold as Lord Wu!”

“The Demon God is merciful! It truly is the Young Lord!”

Wu Lingchan’s head buzzed from the noise. He looked at this group of strange-looking people in confusion. He could not understand a word they were chirping about.

Xun Ye entered the hall with a palm-sized kite perched on his shoulder. He strolled in nonchalantly and said with a fake smile, “What a touching reunion. The Young Lord was lost among the humans for eleven years. I did not see any of you sending people to find him.”

The crowd went silent.

Jiang Zhengliu said calmly, “The Young Lord grew up on the Bihan Terrace. After he went missing, did Lord Chen not act as if it were none of his business, sitting alone on his high tower?”

Xun Ye looked at him coldly. “The beast tide at Wangleying was fierce. If Lord Chen had not turned the tide all these years, you would have all become ghosts in the bellies of magic beasts. How do you still have mouths to gossip about him?”

An elder in the crowd stroked his beard and said, “Turning the tide? Ever since Lord Jufu went into secluded meditation and Lord Chen took charge of Kunfu Xu, Wangleying has been in constant turmoil. Recently, magic beasts attacked and dragged away dozens of people, and even the son of Lord Han from the border is missing.”

Xun Ye’s eyelid twitched, and his thumb clicked against his long blade, popping it out an inch.

“The Demon God was enraged and thus brought down misfortune,” the elder rambled on. “For years, Kunfu Xu has been in a state of panic. That is, until the day before yesterday, when a celestial phenomenon appeared and the beast tide at Wangleying was instantly silenced!”

At those words, everyone turned to look at Wu Lingchan.

Wu Lingchan was baffled. He had the vocabulary of a five-year-old and could not understand the technical arguments they were having. His head hurt from the noise, so he had quietly sat down to eat some pastries. He was caught mid-bite by their stares.

He struggled to swallow the dry cake and asked, “Huh?”

What was happening?

The elder looked at Wu Lingchan’s face, which was covered in crumbs and a look of wise confusion. After a long silence, the elder shouted, “The Young Lord’s lineage is pure! He is elegant, noble, and extraordinary! As one favored by the Demon God, only the Young Lord is qualified to rule Kunfu Xu!”

Xun Ye and Jiang Zhengliu were both silent. Aside from the pure lineage part, none of those descriptions fit Wu Lingchan at all. Even the protective Jiang Zhengliu had nothing to say.

After a long pause, Xun Ye said gloomily, “The Second Elder is indeed old. He is completely blind.”

The Second Elder slammed the table in rage, whether from true anger or embarrassment. “As soon as the Young Lord returned, the beast tide was suppressed! Right now, thousands of magic beasts are kneeling at the border under his pressure! Is this not the intimidation of the Demon God?”

Wu Lingchan continued to eat his pastries while watching the show. They were quite delicious.

Just as the argument was about to escalate into a brawl, the sound of a zither suddenly echoed through the terrace.

Zheng!

Wu Lingchan dropped his pastry and looked up in fright. Who was wailing?

Upon hearing the note, the rowdy crowd was instantly silenced as if their throats had been gripped. They knelt respectfully toward the head of the hall. Even Jiang Zhengliu, who cursed the man in private, bowed his head.

Wu Lingchan looked toward the sound in confusion. Behind a screen, someone was playing the zither. However, the music was disastrous. It was a demonic sound so terrible it was practically a crime against humanity. Wu Lingchan’s head throbbed, thinking that even the most devout monk would turn into a demon after hearing this.

A gentle voice came from behind the screen. “The return of the Young Lord is a great occasion. What is the point of all this fighting?”

Xun Ye sheathed his blade with a dark expression and walked to the side of the screen, standing with his head bowed. “Lord Chen.”

Wu Lingchan raised an eyebrow. That demonic music was played by Chen She?

The zither music had the power to intimidate. With one pluck, the room went silent. Even the arrogant Second Elder looked like a choked goose, not daring to make a sound.

Chen She asked, “The beast tide at Wangleying has been sealed for thousands of years. Even during my father’s reign, great demons tried to break the seal. Now that Kunfu is in chaos, does the Second Elder mean to say that I am an ill omen who brought this disaster?”

Kunfu Xu originally had seventeen regional elders. Chen She had been thinning them out like slaughtering pigs, killing a few every year, until only seven remained. These seven were either cowards who knelt at the sight of him, recluses who stayed in meditation, or those with enough power to stubbornly resist him. Clearly, the Second Elder belonged to the latter group.

The elder struggled to stand with his cane, looking ready to die for his cause. “I am only speaking the facts. The matter of lineage…”

Xun Ye could not stand that word. “Presumptuous! What load of nonsense is this about lineage? Lord Jufu fought his way to the throne. Why must Lord Chen worry about pure blood? If you want to die, just say so. Do not make a scene. Do you really think our Lord Chen is some kind of saint?”

Chen She remained silent.

The Second Elder ignored Xun Ye and turned to drag Wu Lingchan into the mess. “Young Lord, what do you say?”

Wu Lingchan was lost. What was he supposed to say? What was happening?

Behind the screen, Chen She started playing that demonic music again. Wu Lingchan’s head ached from the noise. Seeing the expectant or angry eyes of the crowd and remembering Jiang Zhengliu’s words about survival of the fittest, he realized it was his time to act.

From the looks of it, these elders did not want Chen She to take the throne. Jiang Zhengliu gave him a meaningful look.

Wu Lingchan nodded solemnly. He understood.

“The position of the new Sovereign,” Wu Lingchan said haltingly. “The strongest person is best. My eldest brother is the best choice.”

The music stopped abruptly. The room waited for a “but,” yet there was no “but.” Wu Lingchan was simply confused as to why no one was responding.

A dead silence fell over the Bihan Terrace. Once people realized Wu Lingchan was finished speaking, their expressions twisted. Even the ever-calculating Jiang Zhengliu looked stunned.

Xun Ye’s eyebrows shot up. He noticed the hidden killing formation that had been activated in the terrace was slowly dissipating. He curled his lip. He had thought this Young Lord was stupid enough to be used as a pawn and would have been turned to ash by the formation after a few wrong words. He did not expect the man to suddenly find his brain at the last second.

A soft laugh came from behind the screen. The man sitting at the desk finally rose. His tall silhouette was cast against the ink-painted screen before he stepped out.

Wu Lingchan looked over and froze. The sky outside was deep blue, and Chen She wore a dark indigo robe embroidered with patterns Wu Lingchan did not recognize. These patterns seemed to crawl like living things.

The most striking thing was his face. Chen She’s eyes were closed, his thick lashes resting against his skin. From his eyelids to his upper cheeks, there were intricate vermillion runes that acted like a seal over his eyes, looking both sinister and mysterious.

Wu Lingchan stared blankly at the runes. Suddenly, a speck of vermillion shifted slightly, as if the rune itself had glanced at him.

Wu Lingchan jumped. Was Chen She blind? Was he like this when they were young? He could not remember.

Chen She did not look like the fierce monster from the rumors. On the contrary, he was overly elegant and tall, looking like a refined gentleman raised by a righteous sect.

Wu Lingchan blinked. Although Chen She was blind, he reached out his hand accurately toward Wu Lingchan with a noble grace and said, “Come here.”

Wu Lingchan looked confused. Chen She had used a term of endearment he did not quite understand, likely meaning little brother. In his blurry memories, someone had used that same posture and tone to call him.

Wu Lingchan was not afraid of him. Seeing that the other elders were too terrified to stop him, he ran to Chen She’s side, his red and gold sleeves fluttering like they did when he was a child.

Close up, Wu Lingchan realized Chen She was exceptionally tall. Wu Lingchan was sixteen and tall for his age, but he only reached Chen She’s shoulder and had to look up at him.

Chen She tilted his head. His eyes moved slightly under his lids as if looking at him through invisible means. His tone was light and indulgent, like he was coaxing a child.

“Do you still remember me?”

Wu Lingchan shook his head, then hesitantly nodded, holding up two fingers to show a tiny gap. “I remember a little bit.”

“Then do you remember what to call me?”

“I remember. Big Brother.”

Hearing that childish form of address, Chen She’s lashes fluttered. After a moment, he smiled and reached out to gently stroke Wu Lingchan’s soft, black hair.

“Yes. Good boy.”